Foundation Fund

THE FOUNDATION WAS BUILT TO HELP LOCAL CHARITIES BY PARTNERING WITH OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS AND LEVERAGING THEIR NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS TO HELP PROMOTE THEIR MISSION.

WE PROVIDED BRAND AMBASSADORS TO RAISE AWARENESS, INCREASE THE PROFILE, AND HELP RAISE RESOURCES FOR THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITY NONPROFIT PARTNERS: LIFETOWN, BUCKEYE CRUISE FOR CANCER, A KID AGAIN, AFTER-SCHOOL ALL-STARS, AND THE COLUMBUS URBAN LEAGUE. WE HAD OVER FIFTY STUDENT-ATHLETE BRAND AMBASSADORS SERVING MULTIPLE CHARITY PARTNERS. OUR KICKOFF EVENT WAS OUR SUMMER GALA IN AUGUST. WE HAD KIDS FROM COLUMBUS URBAN LEAGUE, AFTER SCHOOL ALL STARS, AND A KID AGAIN MEET AND INTERACT WITH THE BRAND AMBASSADORS. THE BRAND AMBASSADORS SPENT QUALITY TIME WITH THE KIDS, SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS, THROWING THE FOOTBALL, AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LEADERSHIP. ONE CHILD FROM A KID AGAIN WHO HAS A RARE FORM OF CANCER SAID IT WAS HIS DREAM TO MEET CJ STROUD. HIS SIBLING ALSO TOLD THE KID IN THE PROGRAM'S MOTHER HE NO LONGER RESENTS HIS SIBLING FOR THE TIME HIS PARENTS SPEND WITH HIM BECAUSE HE BROUGHT HIM TO MEET CJ. IT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER AS A FAMILY AND BROUGHT TEARS OF JOY TO THE MOTHER. WE HAVE MANY STORIES LIKE THIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS WITH LARGE FOLLOWINGS ALSO HELP PROMOTE OUR CHARITY PARTNERS AT NO CHARGE. WE ALSO HAD MANY APPEARANCES AT LIFETOWN WHERE OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS WORKED WITH THE KIDS WHO WOULD GO THERE TO LEARN LIFE SKILLS. MANY OF THESE KIDS COME FROM UNDER-RESOURCED BACKGROUNDS AND SOME ARE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED. OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS VOLUNTEERED IN EACH SIMULATED STORE SUCH AS A BANK, ART STORE, MOVIE THEATRE, PET SHOP, DOCTOR'S OFFICE, AND SALON. THEY TAUGHT THE KIDS HOW TO BUDGET MONEY, TALK TO A DOCTOR, AND USE ART IN THERAPEUTIC WAYS. THE KIDS LOVE HAVING THE BRAND AMBASSADORS AROUND AND THEY VISIT MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR. OUR CO-FOUNDER CARDALE JONES HAD A CHARITY SOFTBALL GAME RAISING MONEY FOR OHIO STATE'S THE JAMES CANCER CENTER. OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS ATTENDED THE GAME, SIGNED AUTOGRAPHS, AND INTERACTED WITH CANCER PATIENTS. IT WAS A MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED. DURING CHRISTMAS, WE HAD A GIFT-WRAPPING AND DELIVERY PROJECT BY OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS TO KIDS WHO ARE TERMINALLY ILL THROUGH THE A KID AGAIN CHARITY PARTNER. THIS WAS A GREAT WAY FOR OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND PUT A SMILE ON MANY KIDS' FACES. OUR PROGRAMS HAVE ALREADY HELPED SO MANY KIDS WHO, DESPITE THEIR STRUGGLES, LOOK UP TO OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS AND WE GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE TOGETHER. OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS ALSO LOVE THIS EXPERIENCE AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO SERVING THE NONPROFIT PARTNERS, WE TEACH OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS BUSINESS AND LIFE SKILLS INCLUDING BRANDING, MARKETING, ACCOUNTING, CONTRACTS, TAXES, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY. OUR ULTIMATE MISSION IS TO FORGE LIFE-LONG RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OUR BRAND AMBASSADORS AND OUR CHARITY PARTNERS CREATING A LIFETIME OF IMPACT. HAVING LAUNCHED OPERATIONS IN APRIL OF 2022, WE ARE OFF TO A STRONG START AND LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING ON OUR MOMENTUM FOR AN EVEN MORE IMPACTFUL 2023 AND BEYOND.